Vinyl polymers plasticized with sulfur treated extracts of mineral oil fractions



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UNITED STATES PATENT Y OFFICE j 2,471,267 vnvrtromzluaas rms'ricrzanwn'n SUL- Fun mall-ran ax'raac'rs or MINERAL OIL FRACTION S Eric William Musther Fawcett, Eric Sylvester Narracott, and Albert Miilien, Sunbury-on- Thames, England, assignora to Anglo-Iranian Oil Company Limited, London, England, a British joint-stock corporation No Drawing. Application December 30, 1944, Se-

rlal No. 570,790. In Great Britain January 6,

11' This invention relates to the production of plastic compositions from a polyvinyl halide such as polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl halide co-polypounds, and moulding compositions.

The use of substances of the character of tricresyl phosphate, dibutyl'phthalate, and dibenzyl tract hydrocarbons are used as plasticisers, partial sebacate as plasticisers for polyvinyl chloride or plasticisers and/or fillers. its co-polymers has long been practised. They According to the present invention therefore are polar in character, and are thus known to a mineral oil fraction which term is intended to have an adverse effect on the electrical and water include mineral oil residues having the characresistant properties of the polymers. Their other 15 teristics hereinbefore described is first extracted physical properties such for example as tensile with a selective polar solvent which term is instrength are also known to depreciate rapidly tended to include a mixture of selective solvents with increasing additions of the-plasticisers to one at least of which is of a" polar character. these polymers. V The desired hydrocarbons are to be found in the In the specification filed pursuant to the coextract phase and are recovered by the removal pending application Serial No. 513,468, filed of the solvent advantageously by distillation. The December 8, 1943, a process is described for proextract hydrocarbons thus obtained and preferducing such compositionsintheuseasplasticisers ably after first being refined, are treated at a or partial plasticisers and/or fillers consisting of -moderately elevated temperature for extended certain hydrocarbons obtained from mineral oil periods of time of from about 5 hours'up to 60 fractions by extraction with selective solvents of hours with a determined proportion of sulphur a polar character. These hydrocarbons are of not generally exceeding 15% of, their weight of molecular weight preferably within the range sulphur. The hydrocarbon product may be in- 250-750 and their initial and final boiling points. eorporated with polyvinyl chloride or co-polymer are preferably within the range ZED-800 C. at compositions as a filler, or as a filler and plas- 760 mm. Hg pressure. The hydrocarbons are tieiser either alone or with known plasticisers. characterised by a high carbon content (at least The solvent extraction step may be carried out atom of carbon D atom of y are in known manner. We have found that a mixenerally unsaturated and may c ntain p to wo ture of sulphur dioxide and benzenegivessuccess unsaturated linkages per molecule. The hydro- 3o ful results, but a wide range of other known carbons may also contain an adventitious minor solvents may advantageously be used, as for exproportion of sulphur andlorvnitrogen in comample, sulphur dioxide, alcohols, furfural or bined form. V phenols. V f

These high colecular weight hydro rbons hav The sulphur treatment may be carried out at good electrical and water resistant properties be- 40 tem eratures within the range 150-300 C. and cause of their non-polar character and are com-x ferably within the range 190-230 C. and may patible with 8 P y yl halide h w po y be carried out under superatmospheric pressure, chloride and many po y yl a de co-poiymers but in general itis advantageous to operate at h s the -P y ers of vinyl chloride With atmospheric pressure. The amount of sulphur vinyl acetate, methyl acrylate, vinylidene chloride d may vary ithin fairly wid limit a for or t l and act as plas e s s, p tia example from about 5% byweight up to 15% by plasticisers and/or fillers in such polymer comweight or the extract hydrocarbons. positions as are used for moulded and other goods The material may be processed in known manparliiclllarly where a highly plas i ed d ner, for example, by distillation, partial absorptensible structure is not desir j tion on porous earths or like materials, precipi- In a co-pending application Serial -No..569,418, tation with solvents, etc., with the object or renfiledDecember 22, 1944, there is describeda treatdering the material lighter in colour before in ment of the extracts that results in improved low corporation into compositions 'as hereinbefore temperature resistance of the finished composidescribed.

tions.

6 Claims. (01. est-30.8)

We have-now discovered that when similar extracts are sulphur'treated according to the manner hereinafter described the sulphur treated extract hydrocarbons show some increase in compatibility with polyvinyl chloride, while the finished plasticisedpolyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride. co-polymer compositions show marked improvement in electrical properties Over the corresponding products in which untreated ex- The following Example lindicates conditions for the preparation or the sulphur treated extract hydrocarbons, while the following Examples 2 and 3 indicate the improved electrical properties of polyvinyl chloride compositions containing a sulphur-treated extract instead of untreated extract.

f Example 1.'A mineral oil fraction boiling in the approximate range 435-485 C. at 760 mm. Hg pressure was submitted to multiple-stage, counter-current extraction with a mixture of sulphur dioxide and benzene in the ratio of 85 parts by volumeof sulphur dioxide to parts by volume of benzene, employing a total proportion of the mixture amounting to 200% by volume of the mineral oil fraction, and employing a temperature gradient during extraction 01- 140 to F. The extract hydrocarbons after evaporation of benzol and sulphur dioxide amounted to by weight of the original mineral oil fraction and had a specific gravity at 60 F. oi. 1.013. The material prepared in the manner described was according to the invention heated for 48 hours at 190 C. with 5% of its weight of sulphur added in a finely divided state and th product had a specific gravity of 1.038.

Example 2.-This example indicates the improvement in electrical properties resulting from the use of sulphur treated extract hydrocarbons rather than the untreated material.

45 parts by weight of sulphur-treated extract hydrocarbons prepared according to Example 1 were mixed for 20 minutes at 120 C. in an internal mixer with 100 parts by weight of polyvinyl chloride, 45 parts by weight of dibutyl phthalate and 4 parts by weight of lead silicate The mixture was then transferred to an open roll mill and milled for 20 minutes at 140 C.

The sheet of placticised material thus obtained was moulded under pressure at 150 C. to 0.05 inch thickness. The improved electrical properties obtained are indicated in the following table, which include the properties obtained in theuse of untreated instead of the sulphur treated extract hydrocarbons.

Example 3.This example further indicates the'improvement in electrical properties which are obtained by using the sulphur-treated extract hydrocarbons in place of the material not so treated.

25 parts by weight of the sulphur-treated extract hydrocarbons prepared according to Example 1, were mixed with 100 parts by weight of polyvinyl chloride, 25 parts by weight of dibutyl phthalate, 4 parts by weight of lead silicate and 2 parts by weight of ethyl palmitate in an internal mixer for 20 minutes at 120 C., after which the mixture was transferred to a. roll mill and milled for 20 minutes at 140 C. The sheet of plasticised material thus obtained was moulded under pressure at 150 C. to 0.05 thickness.

The determined properties of the sulphurtreated extract hydrocarbons are indicated in the following table in comparison with those of. a product in the use of untreated extract hydrocarbons.

Untreated Sui bur-treat- Determinations ex extract hydrocarbons hydrocarbons Tensile Strength, lbs/sq. in 2, 820 3,180

Elongation at Break, per cent 260 200 Shore Hardness 83 81 Low temperature flexibility limit, O. -25

Volume resistivity, ohm-cm 1. 1X10" 4. 3X10" Specific inductive capacity:

50 c. p s 4.39 4.28

We claim:

1. The composition of matter of improved electrical properties comprising an intimate admixture of a polymeric substance selected from the group consisting oi polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate co-polymer, vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride co-polymer and vinyl chloride-methyl acrylate co-polymer with a sulphur treated hydrocarbon material prepared by the treatment with sulphur at a moderately-elevated temperature within the range -300" C. for an extended period of from about 5 hours up to 60 hours of extract hydrocarbons derived from amineral oil fraction by solvent extraction with a selective polar solvent, the proportion oi. sulphur being in the range of from about 5% to about 15% of the weight of said extract hydrocarbons, the extract hydrocarbon containing up to two unsaturated linkages per molecule and having a carbon content of on average at least .6 atoms of carbon per atom of hydrogen, the molecular weight of the hydrocarbons being in the range 200-800, and the initial and final boiling points being in the range of 250800 C. at 760 mm. Hg pressure.

2. The composition oi. matter as specified in claim 1 in which the molecular weight of the hydrocarbons is in the range 250-750.

3. The composition of matter as specified in claim 1 in which the sulphur treatment is carried out at a temperature within the range -230 C.

4. A process for the production of vinyl polymer plastic compositions of improved electrical properties comprising intimately incorporating at an elevated temperature a polymeric substance selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate co-polymer,

vinyl chloride-methyl acrylate co-polymer and -150-300 C. for a period of from about 5 hours to about 50 hours in admixture with from about 5% to about 15% by weight of sulphur based on the weight of the extracted hydrocarbons.

5. A process for producing plastic compositions as specified in claim 4 in which the sulphur treated hydrocarbons have been produced by heating with sulphur at a temperature within the range 190-250 C.

6. A process for producing plastic compositions as specified in claim 5 in which the molecular UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rosenthal Aug. 6, 1940 Rustler Oct. 15, 1940 Rein June 10, 1941 Rustler May 7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain July 24, 1944 

